


Riding Shotgun

by echoofthewind



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: But I hope you enjoy, Crude Humor, Fluff, M/M, More tags will be added later, Multi, RIP Oikawa, Strong Language, War, a bit post-apocalyptic ??, also some smut, and angst in later chapters, bokuro is brotp in here, do not be deceived by the first chapter, future chapters will definitely be longer, i really hope i'm at least somewhat accurate with some of the military stuff going on in here, i would highly recommend reading the notes in the beginning of the chapters because those will help, idk what this is, inspired a bit by the hunger games, it does jump around a bit when it comes to pov but i promise everything will come together ok, kinda slow on updating though since classes are starting up again, lots of military terminology, mercenary au, not a lot of asanoya but still a little, sorry for all the tags, the angst will hurt so enjoy this while you can??
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-10 19:04:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5597323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/echoofthewind/pseuds/echoofthewind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's war. It's mercenary life. Whatever you want to call it, it's hell and heaven at the same time.  </p>
<p>It's not about fighting. It's not about existing. It's about living, about feeling the adrenaline rush through your veins, about inhaling and exhaling humanity.</p>
<p>It's about laying your life on the line, about laughing despite the pain, about finding beauty in the destruction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Light

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [第二種戦闘配置](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/165682) by Sashikizu. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First light: the beginning of morning nautical twilight, or when the center of the morning sun is 12 degrees below the horizon.
> 
> I use a variety of military terms in this chapter, so here are the definitions beforehand:  
> ass: armored vehicles such as Strykers and tanks  
> bird: slang for helicopter  
> black on ammo, fuel, water, etc: denotes that a particular resource is gone or used up  
> klick: kilometer  
> IED: stands for improvised explosive device. A bomb constructed and deployed usually in guerilla/commando fighting or terrorist attacks.  
> ruck up: to get through a particularly challenging or stressful situation  
> commo: communication equipment or the people who operate it  
> joe: a soldier

“Tsukishima, we got new intel or not? We got that those forces ain’t moving anytime soon, but that’s about it,” a surprisingly composed voice scratched from the small radio a few feet away.

Lithe fingers pushed up the black frames threatening to slide off their owner’s nose, before skimming through blond hair. “I have no more information at the moment, Captain Sawamura. I’m still waiting on-”

“Captain, I think we’re in trouble,” came another voice on the radio, deep, serious. “...We got a couple of asses and one...shit, two birds pullin’ in. And last I checked, we’re almost black on ammo, which fucks us up even more.” It was Iwaizumi.

“Well, ain’t that just _lovely._ How many klicks between us and them?” Sawamura inquired.

Silence for a good couple of seconds.

Finally, someone spoke up. “Captain, we got approximately two goin’ for us.” Kuroo’s voice, probably.

“Two klicks? Shit, do we have some IEDs set up?”

“Dai, Asahi and I’ve got those covered. On your call, we’ll set ‘em off.” A soft, gentle voice-none other than Sugawara.

“You’re a lifesaver, Suga. Come on, men, let’s pull through here. Ruck up.”

“And fuck the other guys’ shit up!” Bokuto’s voice buzzed loud and clear. “Oh, I rhymed! That’s kickass- Ow! What the fuck, Tetsu?” Tsukishima rolled his eyes. _Of course he’d start yapping his head off now._

“Stop talking, and get back to work, Bo. In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve got some company.”

Gunshots, staticky but recognizable, rang out through the radio lines. Tsukishima found himself holding his breath, while Yamaguchi, right besides him, gazed down at the floor, rubbing an arm, tense. This was nothing new; they’d been mercenaries for almost two years now and been in fights like this before. Nevertheless, the rush that accompanied their very first firefight flooded their veins even now. It was something that’d just never leave.

Hope and anticipation stuck to everyone’s skin like the sweat and fabric of their uniforms in this hot, muggy weather. It was Kuroo and Bokuto squaring off against God knew how many guys, and while the two were the best their group had when it came to close combat, it’d still be a coin toss as to whether or not they’d survive. They seemed to have endless luck though, having survived this long.

The seconds continued to tick by, then minutes.

Tsukishima reached over to his Howa Type 64, fingers sliding over the smooth wooden stock, trying to steady his nerves. The fight was still going on, and it was longer than usual-

And then the noise died down with the suddenness it began with.

After an agonizing minute, Kuroo’s voice rang out. “We’ve taken out a couple of ‘em.” Tsukishima could practically feel everyone heave a sigh of relief. “I think we managed to take out a few commos of theirs, too.”

“Can you confirm?” Tsukishima murmured into his headset, his fingers flying across the keys of his computer.

Quiet for two minutes. Then Bokuto came on, whispering. “We can confirm. Some radios and laptops are laying ‘round here. Seems like there’s still a few transmissions goin’ over their lines. We ambushed ‘em real good. But I dunno if they’re gonna have some joes coming here or not soon; some asshole might’ve radioed in a call for help, and I can’t make heads or tails of their code. If we only had Kenma here…”

A small, shy voice-Kenma’s. “I could take on deciphering their code. Tsukishima, could you…?”

“On it. I’ll switch you to a private line. Remain on standby; I’ll be forwarding the code to you shortly.”

Minutes later, Kenma’s voice hummed through the group line. “Cracked the code. Yamaguchi, could you send the coordinates to everyone?”

“I will,” Yamaguchi chimed.

A whistle and clapping, then another voice, melodic. “I’m impressed, Kenma~ That was fast, almost as fast as my darling Iwa-chan here when he fucks me-”

Then muffled yelling and a series of “Ow!”s followed by “That hurts, Iwa-chan!”.

Yamaguchi glanced over, cheeks pink, fingers hovering over the keys of his laptop, unsure of how to take this revelation of their top soldiers’ sex lives. Well, that explained why Oikawa came limping out of the showers that one day.

Tsukishima merely pushed his glasses up, continuing to type away.

It was just another day in the life of a mercenary.

* * *

“...Hey, Grand Mercenary, why are you biting a towel?” A short soldier with orange hair as bright as the sun trotted up to Oikawa, curiosity glimmering in those amber irises.

“Oikawa walked into a wall. Nothing to worry about, Hinata,” answered Iwaizumi coolly as he polished off his trustworthy P220.

“Can you really hurt your face like that by walking into a wall?” Hinata’s head tilted to the right. His childlike innocence had never faded even after being enlisted with them for two years, and it was surprisingly refreshing in the hell that was a part of life out here.

“Yes, you can, so you should be very careful.” Iwaizumi replaced his pistol, before reaching over and ruffling the soldier’s fiery-and surprisingly soft-hair. “You don’t want to end up like him.” He motioned with a thumb at the bench Oikawa was seated on.

“Thank you for your advice, sir! I’ll do my best not to run into any walls!” Hinata chirped, before scampering off to the mess hall where Sugawara and Akaashi were cooking.

“Damn, you don’t see that sort of innocence every day.” Kuroo snorted a few meters away.

Iwaizumi simply rolled his eyes. “No, you don’t.”

* * *

 “Captain! I wanna spar with Kuroo!” Bokuto crossed his arms over his chest, reminding Daichi of an obstinate child rather than a professional mercenary.  

“Look. Last time you decided to use actual knives instead of the rubber ones I told you to use. I’m all for brushing up on your skills, but not for hurting each other.” Daichi pressed a hand to his forehead, looking up from his desk brimming with maps and papers. A sigh slipped past his lips, and he finally relented. “...Fine. I’ll give you one more chance. If you two use the rubber ones, then you guys can spar. Hurt yourselves, and I’ll make sure to personally kick your asses afterwards, understood?”

“Understood! Thanks, Captain!” Bokuto hurried off with that familiar bounce in his step.

* * *

A mere two meters of dust and dirt separated Kuroo and Bokuto’s blades.

A few people had come to watch, seating themselves down at the fringes of the training grounds. This was normally where the newbies would learn the ropes, but occasionally, the professionals took the stage here, like right now.

Other than the intermittent whoop or cheer, it was dead silent. You could feel the rising anticipation, the held breaths, the observant gazes.

The adrenaline trickled through their veins, expecting, waiting.

And then came the first move.

Bokuto shot forward, blade swinging upwards. Kuroo seamlessly stepped to the side, grabbing his partner’s outstretched arm with one hand.

With his leg propelling, Bokuto spun, catching Kuroo in the side-or so he thought, when Kuroo’s other hand caught his foot.

That knowing smirk, those catlike eyes-Bokuto was no longer unnerved by them like he used to be. Cool, composed, he pressed down, before launching up like a spring, kicking his leg forward and solidly nailing Kuroo in the stomach.

Both men flew back a few feet. Bokuto hit the ground, rolling backwards before rising to a standing position, while Kuroo retained his upright position, his boots scratching the ground.

The two remained in their positions for a moment, watchful, wary.

Then Kuroo leered, sauntering forward, accompanied by that familiar air of egotism and intrepidity. He ran a gloved hand through his hair, those entrancing eyes glowing faintly with the rising sun. “Come on, _babe._ You’re not giving me much of a challenge here. Don’t tell me you lost your touch already…” Provocation. That was one of Kuroo’s classic tactics, one that had led many foolish soldiers to their deaths in previous confrontations.

Bokuto gritted his teeth. It was a hit to his pride. Knowledge of each other’s weaknesses accompanied partnership, and Kuroo was certainly using that to his advantage.

“Well, _darling,_ it’s so cute that you think that you could piss me off with petty insults.” Bokuto strolled forward, knife resting at his side for the time being. A surprise attack, he was sure of it.

The distance between them decreased-

And no attack came.

Centimeters stood between them now, and the distance was only shortening.

_Now._

Bokuto’s arm whipped out, flashing towards Kuroo’s neck.

_Shit. Wrong move._

Kuroo intercepted, stopping Bokuto’s arm in its tracks. A roundhouse kick later, a knife hit the dust.

_Checkmate._

A rubber blade rested a millimeter away from Bokuto’s jugular vein.

As if the duo had completed a performance, the group that had gathered broke out into hooping and hollering and cheering. However, the din was merely background noise for the two soldiers, their hearts pounding away, muscles quivering, gazes locked in one last battle.

After a few moments, Bokuto averted his gaze. He had lost, fair and square.

* * *

“Hey, Bo.” Kuroo slid down into the space next to Bokuto in the mess hall. The usual sly grin wasn’t there, Bokuto noted in between bites of grilled chicken. “Your wrist okay? I kicked pretty hard back there. Sorry, bro.”

Bokuto swallowed his mouthful of food before setting his silverware down, yanking a sleeve to reveal a patch of purple on his skin. “It hurts like a bitch, but after lookin’ at it, Konoha said it’s nothing to worry about. It’ll heal.” He tipped over to the side, head resting on Kuroo’s shoulder. “Damn, you beat me again. What’s the score now?”

“I got eight, you got five,” Kuroo answered, pressing a cheek to his partner’s hair. “...Dude, why the fuck you still using gel? How do you have time to put that goddamn stuff in your hair in the mornings?”

All Kuroo received in reply was a snort and a trayful of food to the face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Kuroo amuse me to no end.


	2. Overwatch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Overwatch: when one small unit provides support for another.

“Iwa-chan~ Iwa-chan~!”

“...The fuck, Assikawa? It’s…” Iwaizumi rubbed his eyes, turning his head and glancing down at his watch. 0300, it read. “...three o’clock...in the fucking morning. What the fuck do you want?” He groaned, sitting up halfway. They had to wake up in exactly two hours for physical training, and Iwaizumi knew from experience that it sucked ass to run and work out while groggy.

“Iwa-chan, can I join you?” Oikawa’s presence hovered over the edge of his cot.

“Hell no. Go the fuck to sleep.” Iwaizumi’s head hit the pillow once more, and he rolled over, yanking the covers over his head.

“Iwa-chan, please, can I-”

“I swear to God, Oikawa, if you do not shut up, I will bash your head in.”

“I know you wouldn’t do that, Iwa-chan~ After all, I am your one and only partner.” Oikawa stepped forward about ten centimeters.

“Try me.”

_“Haaaaa-jiiiiiii-meeeee-”_

Iwaizumi rolled back over and ripped the covers away, slapping a hand against his forehead. “Oh my fucking god, _fine_. Come here.”

The cot dipped as it accompanied a second weight, squeaking slightly as Oikawa settled in. He looped an arm around Iwaizumi’s waist, drawing their bodies flush against each other.

“...Hajime.” A whisper caressed Iwaizumi’s lips.

“...What?” An evergreen iris emerged from behind a tanned eyelid.

“Do you think we’ll make it out of here alive?”

Okay, _now_ Iwaizumi was awake. He exhaled, reaching over, calloused fingers kissing the smooth plane of Oikawa’s arm. “Yeah,” he finally answered.

“How...can be you be so sure?” Oikawa pressed their foreheads together, long, pretty eyelashes cascading across his cheeks as he closed his eyes.

Iwaizumi’s hand slid into his, their fingers intertwining, as if they were pieces of a puzzle that fit together perfectly, as if they were truly made for each other. Their arms lifted, till they were pointing up towards the sky.

“...Tooru...you act like an idiot sometimes-”

“Hey, that’s mean, Iwa-chan-” Those chocolate eyes opened, flashing.

“Let me finish.”

Oikawa shut up, eyelids sliding closed once again.

“...You act like an idiot in camp, but I know when it comes to fighting, you’re unparalleled. There’s a reason why you’re the highest ranked soldier here. You’re also one of our most intelligent guys, and you catch onto things that no one else notices. You won’t go down without a fight, and I trust you to have my back. And…” Iwaizumi trailed off, pink blooming across his cheeks.

“And?” Oikawa prompted.

“...And I vowed to protect you till my last breath.” Iwaizumi’s grip tightened on Oikawa’s hand.

“...Yeah.” Those breathtaking eyes opened once again. “...to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part...right?”

Iwaizumi felt something in his chest tighten at those foreignly familiar words, as if he wanted to cry. He bit his lip, nodding. “Right. Until death do us part.”

Oikawa’s eyes pooled with the most beautiful tears, and as their lips met, Iwaizumi thought he tasted the ocean and the sea air they immersed themselves in as kids an eternity ago.

* * *

“Akaashi!” A loud, booming voice greeted.

Right in Akaashi’s ear.

At four in the morning.

Akaashi jolted upwards, scuttling over to a side of the cot. Right across from him was a set of owlish eyes, and if he hadn’t become so familiar with those eyes, he would have gone full-on mercenary and rendered the guy immobile.

The sniper relaxed, gaze softening. “Yes...Bokuto-san? Did you...need something?” His voice was rough, raspy, still laced with sleep.

“I couldn’t sleep. In fact, I haven’t slept the whole night.” Bokuto sounded extremely proud of this fact, and somewhere in the back of his mind, Akaashi questioned whether or not Bokuto was even human, but he already knew his answer; it was confirmed a long time ago.

Akaashi shifted over closer to his roommate, drawing the covers over both of them. “...May I ask why you haven’t been able to sleep?”

“I don’t know, really. I guess I’ve just been thinking about stuff. Like...am I gonna live a normal life after this and what’ll happen when this war ends and we’ll have to go our separate ways…” Bokuto murmured, surprisingly solemn.

“I think it depends on your definition of normal. If you think of normal as life before the war, then no, none of us are going to be living normal lives.”

“We’re going to have to build our normal lives from scratch, won’t we?”

“...I don’t know, Bokuto-san... A part of me considers what we do here normal.”

“...Yeah, we’ve settled into a routine here, haven’t we? It’s like we’ve been out fighting all our lives.”

“...I don’t know how long this routine will remain, though.”

Those seas of gold widened. “...What do you mean?”

“I’ve overheard Sawamura-san say that the Shiratorizawa army hadn’t expected us to hold out for so long, and now, Ushijima-san is pushing his men to totally wipe us out. The fighting’s only gonna get worse from here on out. But besides that, I don’t know anything else... “

“...Ushijima, that son of a bitch. God, what I’d do to knock the living daylights outta him.” Bokuto practically hissed.

Akaashi blinked. That sounded uncannily like something Oikawa would say. He couldn’t help but snicker quietly at that, earning him a disdainful glance.

“What’s so funny?! I was being serious!”

“I know, Bokuto-san...I was just thinking how much you sounded like Oikawa-san there…”

“Oh yeah…” Bokuto mused, the gears in his head turning. “Hey, Akaashi...do you know why Oikawa’s so pissed off whenever Shiratorizawa’s mentioned? I’ve always wondered...I mean, none of us like Ushijima, but it feels like Oikawa’s got a special place in his heart filled with hate for the dude.”

“From what I’ve heard from Iwaizumi-san...Ushijima-san tried to recruit him for Shiratorizawa, daring to go as far as threaten his family’s lives if he didn’t join. Oikawa-san joined for a little while, but soon found that he couldn’t carry out the commands that Ushijima-san gave him, and so he deserted, joining the resistance. But that came at a-”

Bokuto piped up, interrupting. “Hold up there, Akaashi. Why couldn’t he follow Ushijima’s commands? Was the jackass that bad of a commander?”

Akaashi nodded. “That’s part of it. Apparently, Ushijima-san was a very harsh man. The slightest mistake in execution of his commands entailed excruciating punishment or even death. But...Oikawa-san mainly took issue with the commands themselves. They were...morally questionable, to put it lightly.”

“Like...that fucker had Oikawa wipe out thousands of people for no reason except to exert more control over the country or something?”

“Yes. Deeds along those lines.”

“...Damn. I...didn’t know ‘kawa carried that sort of weight around with him…Anyways, continue.”

Akaashi inhaled deeply, his fingers flirting with the edge of the covers. “...Deserting Shiratorizawa came with a price. Ushijima-san not only killed off Oikawa-san’s family, but also Iwaizumi-san’s family, even though Iwaizumi-san had nothing to do with Shiratorizawa in the first place.”

Bokuto’s heart skipped a beat. He clutched at the sheets, pressing his face into a pillow. _Goddamn._

_What the fuck._

_What._

_The._

_Fuck._

His blood boiled. He wanted nothing more to slit that bastard’s throat open now. _How dare he do something like that. How dare he._

Akaashi must have sensed his comrade’s surging emotions, because he tangled their legs together and pressed his hands into Bokuto’s. “...Bokuto-san…Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. You know that’s never a good idea.”

Bokuto gripped the hands with his, inhaling and exhaling deeply a few times, rhythmic. It was one of the few ways he could calm down.

“...Better?”

Bokuto nodded, squeezing one last time, gentle. “...Yeah. Thanks, Akaashi.”

* * *

The usual cowbell and Sawamura’s shouting woke the crew up at five sharp.

Sugawara could hear the commander passing the opening of his tent. “Wake up, men! Get your asses outta bed, or I’ll make sure you’re on work detail for the next month. Let’s go, let’s go!”

Suga swung his feet over and stood up, stretching and yawning. He crept outside, getting a rather _nice_ long look at his superior’s ass. _Damn._

Sawamura must have sensed eyes wandering where they shouldn’t have on him, because he turned around, walking back to Suga’s tent. “You were staring at my ass, weren’t you?”

A sweet smile. “...Mm, maybe. It’s hard not to look at when it’s that perfect.”

A wave of pink rose to Sawamura’s cheeks. He cleared his throat and averted his gaze. “...Later. 2200 work for you?”

Suga grinned, and after looking around to make sure there wasn’t anyone else in the vicinity who’d see them, he pecked the other’s cheek. “That’s fine with me.”

* * *

“Lev, I swear to God, how on earth did you even become a mercenary?”

“Uh...I passed the physical tests and written tests and went through training just like anyone else, Yaku-san.”

“I want to find the idiot who passed you and kick his ass to hell and back,” Yaku grumbled, rubbing down the gash on Lev’s arm with some alcohol. “You’re so fucking clumsy…”

“How could you kick his ass to hell and back? You only have so much strength in that tiny body of yours.”

The next thing that Lev knew, he was laying on his back and pinned to the cold hard ground. “I’m going to fucking kill you if you say that one more time.”

“What’d I say?!”

“Lev...please shut up…”

Their heads turned as Kenma came in, steam leaking from the mug in his hands. Yaku got up quickly, all smiles and motherly, bowing his head as he took the cup from Kenma. “Thank you...Have you been sleeping better lately, Kenma-san?”

Kenma sat down, nodding. “Drinking that chamomile tea that you gave me has certainly helped, thank you...Would you happen to have anything that’d deal with annoying roommates?”

Yaku snorted at that, reaching over to a table and grabbing some gauze. “I just might…Oi, Lev, get your ass off the ground and on a chair.”

Lev slowly got up, dusting himself off before sitting down across from Kenma and grinning his beyond idiotic grin, as Yaku called it. Kenma averted his gaze; he couldn’t deal with stupidly happy people in the mornings.

“Were Kuroo and Bokuto making a racket again?” Yaku questioned, kneeling down and snapping off a few strips of surgical tape, pressing the sides of them onto the edges of the table.

“Yeah...They were competing against each other or something throughout physical training this morning, and it was pretty annoying...I think I have a headache now…”

Yaku reached over to a nearby table and swiped a bottle of ibuprofen, dropping two tablets into his palm. “Kenma, take these then…” He passed off the medicine. “Drink it down with the coffee you brought me. Taking anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen on an empty stomach can strip away your stomach lining and cause bleeding and ulcers. And those are a pain in the ass to deal with out here.”

“Yaku-san, what’s an ulcer?” Lev piped up as Yaku pressed a few squares of gauze over his gash.

“An ulcer’s a sore on the skin or the membrane of an organ, and it’s usually accompanied by the disintegration of nearby tissue. It’s painful and extremely harmful if it isn’t taken care of.” Yaku answered, taping down the gauze.

“...Oh. That doesn’t sound like fun.”

“No, it isn’t. I’ve had to deal with a few of those back in medic training, and they’re not pretty, especially when it’s stage two or higher. Stage two is when you can see soft tissue or bone.”

“Well...what are the other stages?”

“Stage three is when there’s inflammation or infection directly on a bone, and stage four involves gangrene of parts of tissues or limbs. Gangrene’s...oh god, it’s painful to look at sometimes. But it’s caused by critically insufficient blood supply to a part of your body. The skin looks black, since all the tissue is dead. Stage five is the worst; there’s gangrene of an entire area of the body or limb, and it means we’d have to amputate.”

Kenma scrunched up his nose at that as he drank some coffee, a shudder running down his body. That was certainly... unpleasant. He was glad he never went in as a medic, because he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to handle the more gory parts of the job.

Lev’s eyes merely widened, and he stood up suddenly. “Woah! That’s cool!”

Yaku ran a hand through his hair, huffing. “It’s interesting to learn about, but not fun to encounter. Now sit down so I can finish, Lev.”

Lev sat down immediately and kept quiet, and within a minute, Yaku was finished. “Alright. I don’t want you to put a lot of pressure on that arm. If the gauze gets soaked, just come back here, and I’ll replace it. I’ll talk to Akaashi about letting you take it easy today.”

“Okay, Yaku-san! Thank you!” Lev leaned down, brushing his lips against Yaku’s forehead before skipping out of the tent.

“...The hell?” the medic muttered, pressing his fingers to where those lips met his skin. “...That damn idiot…”

Kenma simply rolled his eyes, placing the mug back down on the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP Yaku and Kenma.
> 
> Comments are always appreciated.


	3. Homing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> homing — The technique whereby a mobile station directs itself, or is directed, towards a source of primary or reflected energy, or to a specified point.
> 
> I do use a little more military vocabulary in this chapter, so here are the definitions beforehand:
> 
> moving like pond water: moving so slowly that a unique term is required to describe it.  
> bullshit bomb: a package intended to disperse propaganda leaflets

“Hinata, I swear to-”

“Oh my god-”

_“Hinata-”_

_“Oh my god, WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING-”_

_“FOR FUCK’S SAKE, HINATA, CALM THE FUCK DOWN!”_

“Oh my god, did he just pass out?!”

 _“Jesus-_ What the fuck.”

“Kageyama, not _again.”_

“What do you mean, _not again_ ?! It’s not my fault the dumbass can’t put a grenade in the damn- Oh, _fuck._ ”

“What?”

“He pulled the fucking pin. He pulled the _goddamn_ pin without putting it into the launcher. It’s a live grenade. It’s a _fucking live grenade.”_

“Then- _Oh my god, throw the damn thing somewhere!_ ”

“ _Okay, okay._ I threw it. We’re good.”

“...Uh...Kageyama?”

“...Yeah, Kunimi?”

“You threw it _in the wrong direction._ ”

“No, I didn’t- _Jesus, fuck, what_ was that sound?”

About five heads turned.

“What the _fuck,_ Kageyama, you destroyed the _fucking showers._ You destroyed the _goddamn showers._ ”

“Well, _fuck me._ ”

Footsteps behind them, then, “Well, Tobio-chan, I’m sure Chibi-chan would love to do that.”

" _Oh my god, Oikawa-san, why would you-_ ”

“Ahaha, better run~ Looks like Sawamura-chan is on his way~ Have fun! Ciao!”

And indeed, fifteen seconds later, a very, _very_ pissed off captain appeared.

_“Now, would someone like to explain to me why the fuck the showers have disappeared?”_

_"_ Oh _, fuck me.”_

* * *

“Uh, Noya...are you sure this is a good idea?” Asahi mumbled, toying with the hem of his shirt.

“Asahi, when have I ever had anything but good ideas?”

“Uh, _well-_ ”

“See? I always have good ideas!” Nishinoya flashed a grin.

“No, that’s not what I was-Is that a grenade?!” Asahi nearly screamed as something flew a good fifteen feet over their heads. He ran behind Noya and clutched onto his shoulders.

“An attack?!” Noya had just whipped out his M4 when the grenade detonated-

And Noya and Asahi were drenched. It wasn’t gas, but-

Water.

“Did someone throw a fucking grenade into the showers?” Noya groaned, running a soaked glove through his equally soaked hair. “Well, _fuck._ New plan, Asahi. I’m gonna wring the neck of the fucker who threw that. I will fuck their shit up.”

They shuffled over, glancing all around them. “No planes or enemy forces...so it’s not an attack- Did one of the cadets throw a- _Jesus Christ,_ ” Noya muttered under his breath.

“What?”

“Is that Daichi’s voice I hear? Oh _shit._ He’s _beyond_ pissed. _Shit._ ”

“Oh god...What are we supposed to do?!” Asahi squeaked.

“Run for the hills. It’s gonna be a shitstorm all up in here.”

* * *

“Hey, Mattsun, ya think I’ll ever beat Iwa at arm wrestling?” Hanamaki muttered as he set down the bipod of his Howa Type 89.

“Sorry to burst your bubble, Maki, but I doubt it. The guy’s the perfect soldier,” Matsukawa replied. “I’m pretty sure even Bokuto can’t beat him, and we all know that Bokuto packs some serious muscle.”

“Well, _fuck._ ” Hanamaki huffed, settling down and lining up his sights with a target 400 meters away. After setting up and loading, he waited a few moments, relaxing. On his fifth exhale, his index finger moved to the trigger and pulled.

He barely heard his shot, which was odd-

But he clearly heard an explosion.

The two sharpshooters turned their heads, only to find that the showers were no longer where they used to be.

“Surprise attack?” Hanamaki queried.

“No...it can’t be. No planes or joes comin’ in...It must be…” Matsukawa mused, his eyes slowly widening.

“The cadets?” The two soldiers concluded simultaneously.

“Why in the fuck would someone throw a grenade in the wrong direction?” Hanamaki groaned.

The two packed up their guns and trekked back to camp, only to find Daichi cursing up a storm in front of five shaken cadets. The guys looked like they were about to piss their pants on the spot.

Later, Matsukawa swore that he saw something dripping from the pants of the cadet with the flaming orange hair.

* * *

_“What in the fucking hell. What the fuck. What the-”_

“Daichi. Calm down.”

“Koushi, you seriously expect me to calm down when we have _hundreds of thousands, no, millions of yen of_ _liabilities to account for_ _now?_ ”

_“Daichi.”_

Daichi knew that tone, the one that Suga almost never used-the downright dangerous one, the one that told everyone, _If you do not listen to what I say out of your own volition, I will make you listen._

The captain shuddered at that, but quieted down immediately.

“That’s better.” Suga’s voice possessed its usual kind tone now, and Daichi relaxed. “We’re gonna have to get those showers replaced as soon as possible. A camp full of stinky, sweaty guys isn’t my idea of a fun time.”

Daichi sighed, nodding. “How’re we gonna explain to the higher ups about this, though?”

Suga padded up behind his seat, looping his arms around the captain’s neck and resting his head on top of Daichi’s. “You know I have my ways of negotiating with them, and they work every time.”

Daichi had his doubts about what exactly those _ways of negotiating_ entailed, but he didn’t dare question about it. “...Alright, alright. I’ll let you take care of it, then.”

“Good.” Suga purred, pressing his cheek to Daichi’s. “Now that’s taken care of...how are you dealing with the news of Shiratorizawa’s advances?”

Daichi closed his eyes, his battle-worn fingers tracing undecipherable patterns over the other’s milky skin. “...I have to tell the men tonight. It’s not going to be easy, considering we’re such a small group. We have some amazing men like you, Hajime, Tooru, and Tetsu out there and up and coming talent like Kageyama and Hinata... _although they did blow up the damn showers,_ but even then...our manpower just isn’t enough. I don’t know if we can recruit many more guys. From what I’ve heard, Ushijima’s threatening every able man to join his army under the threat of wiping out his family, and it’s an effective strategy.”

“There’s got to be a way to counter that. I’m sure there are some guys out there that hate Ushijima’s guts and are caught in the middle, because they don’t want to be under him but at the same time want their families alive. Maybe we could recruit these guys and extend protection to their families in return for their service.” Suga’s gaze wandered over the various maps blanketing the table. “But how would we go about doing that? That would require a lot of resources…”

“I was thinking something along those lines as well. Either we have to come to the families...or the families have to come to us. We’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, though...We don’t have enough men to go out and protect the individual families at their respective homes...but we can’t have the families come and join us here at camp.” Daichi paused for a moment, tapping a pen against the table. “When it comes down to the root of it, we don’t have a base where both the families can reside and the men can get their shit done.”

“All the bases were wiped out when the country was blown out to hell...” Suga remembered.

“Yeah, since they were the big sources of traffic and activity. But there are still a few places left that we could look at.”

“Like where?”

“Camp Kengun, out in Kumamoto.”

“Out in Kyushu? That’ll be quite the move. How’re we gonna accommodate so many people?”

“I guess we’ll have to pitch tents or something. Fortunately, there’s an American naval outpost that we can use not too far out in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture.”

“Hm. If there was a way to fly out the families...then we’d be just fine.”

“...Mm, well...I think I can get in contact with a pilot who could do the job.”

“And who would that be?”

“Ukai-san.”

* * *

“Yamaguchi.”

“Y-Yes, Tsukki?”

“Apparently, Sawamura-san wants you to find a number for someone he knows...The name is Ukai Keishin.”

“I’m on it.”

A few minutes later, Yamaguchi had pulled up the number and rushed into Daichi’s tent. “I have Ukai-san’s number!”

Daichi grinned at him, grabbing his phone and dialing the number. Now it was just waiting.

The phone kept ringing, ringing, _ringing…_

But finally, someone picked up, and Yamaguchi could hear a deep, raspy voice on the other end. “Who the hell is this?”

“Sawamura Daichi.”

“Oh, Sawamura. It’s been a while.”

“It has indeed. How ya doin’?”

“It’s been sucky with Ushjima breathin’ down my neck, but otherwise, I’m makin’ it. Ya need somethin’?”

“We’ve been having the same problem too. And yeah, I need something. You think you can run a plane down to Kumamoto from Sendai?”

“Mm, let’s see...a little over 1100 kilometers...Yeah, I could make it. Why ya askin’?”

“Well, we’re gonna try to recruit some more men, and the incentive is that we’re gonna protect their families from Ushijima. But we need a place where both our forces can operate and the families can stay. One of the few places left is out in Kumamoto.”

“Ah, I gotcha. ‘Right, I’ll work something out.”

“Oh, and ya think you can work out something from Kumamoto to Sasebo, over in Nagasaki Prefecture?”

“They ain’t too far, so I’ll call up some connections down there. I’ll let ya know when I got something in stone. Once you ring up some men, lemme know, and I could probably drive out and get their families goin’.”

“Great. Thanks a lot.”

“Yeah, no problem. Later.”

“Later."

Daichi put the phone down, grinning. “Alright. We got something worked out.”

Yamaguchi breathed a sigh of relief, smiling. “I’m glad…”

“Good work, Yamaguchi. Thanks for all that you do.” Daichi stood up, ruffling the taller soldier’s hair.

“T-Thank you, sir.”

Yamaguchi’s stomach grumbled right at that moment, and the communicator felt his face flare. Daichi merely snorted, rubbing the other’s back. “Go get some lunch, soldier. Your gut’s gonna thank you for it.”

“Y-Yes, sir.”

* * *

“Men, gather up at the center of camp at 1900 sharp. We got some important matters to deal with. Don’t be moving like pond water now! Let’s go!” came the command across the loudspeakers throughout the camp.

Two minutes later, everyone was gathered at the center of camp, all the men either standing or sitting down cross-legged on the hard ground.

Daichi stepped out, back straight, eyes steeled, voice steady. “Alright, men. We got some news on our hands. It’s not good news, but we’ll have to adapt like we always do. Shiratorizawa’s seriously cracking down on us. Ushijima’s determined to wipe us out once and for all, and at this rate, that just might happen. We don’t have the manpower we need, and we’re getting limited help from our allies.”

A pause, as Daichi allowed the news to sink in.

Then a gasp from Hinata. “W-What will we do?!”

Iwaizumi stepped up, gently laying a hand on Hinata’s shoulder. “...We have to recruit more guys, don’t we?”

Daichi nodded. “Right. We’ve been told that Ushijima’s been threatening guys to join under the threat of killing their families.”

Oikawa visibly tensed up at that, reaching out and gripping Iwaizumi’s free arm.

“...And so, we’ve decided to ask those who are skirting the line of joining Shiratorizawa to join us. In return for their service, we will protect their families. Since we cannot go out and individually protect these families or house these families at camp here, we’ve decided to bring them to Camp Kengun in Kumamoto, out in Kyushu. There, we will be pitching tents and providing what they need to survive. We will be gathering up the families and flying them into Kumamoto from Sendai. In the meantime, we will try to operate from one of the few remaining American outposts in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture. Some of you will be part of the recruitment, while the rest will be assisting the families with settling in.” Daichi exhaled, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. “It will be a very risky mission, but I believe in all of you. I want you to be kind to everyone you will be interacting working with. Treat them as if they are a part of your family, understood?”

“Yes, sir!” chanted the chorus of voices.

“Good. Are there any questions so far?”

“Who’s gonna be taking care of the recruitment? And how will we be going about recruiting?” Kageyama’s voice called from the back of the group.

“I will be approaching those who will be part of recruitment individually and will provide further information. And as for how we’ll be going about recruiting, we’ll be dropping our own versions of bullshit bombs from planes, and if the need arises, we may go undercover.”

"Really?! That’s so cool!” Lev exclaimed, although he was quickly silenced by Kuroo’s hand over his mouth.

“I’ll be meeting with some of you tonight within the next hour, so don’t fall asleep on me. Anyone have any more questions?” Daichi glanced around at his forces. “Alright. If there aren’t any more questions, then you are dismissed.”

Everyone dispersed, save for Sugawara. He approached Daichi, and after checking that the coast was clear, laid a quick kiss on the captain’s lips. “You delivered the information calmly and professionally, and everyone seemed to handle it very well. I’m proud of you. Good work, Dai.”

Daichi’s cheeks flushed a soft pink. “I-It was just the usual. Nothing to-”

"Shhhh. That wasn’t easy information to tell them. Just take the compliment.” Suga grinned one of his thousand-watt smiles, one of those smiles that made Daichi’s heart flutter.

“...Alright, alright. Thank you, Koushi.”

“Mm, you’re welcome. Now get talking to our recruiters. You got a little rendezvous at 2200 to get to, remember?” A sly wink accompanied the question.

“R-Right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP Kageyama and Hinata. They're big dorks. 
> 
> A few FYIs:  
> First FYI: After this chapter, it might get a bit heavy with the military lingo, so bear with me; I'll get you to your action, angst, and smut. 
> 
> Second FYI: classes have just started back up for me, so releases will be considerably slower. RIP me. 
> 
> Third FYI: Camp Kengun is an actual place in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, and there is an actual American naval outpost in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture. In short, all the places I'm mentioning are real places. 
> 
> Fourth FYI: 1100 kilometers is approximately 683.5 miles. 
> 
> Fifth and final FYI: Kyushu is essentially as far west as you can get in mainland Japan (I say mainland, because there is Okinawa which is even more westerly, but Okinawa is composed of islands further away from the four main islands of Japan). 
> 
> As always, comments are appreciated.


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